7 THINGS WORTH KNOWING / 9 November 2026

Little Discoveries

Design · Philosophy · Plants · Curiosities · Words · Food · Cultures & peoples. 7 discoveries in this edition.

AI editorial illustration of the three-legged Ant chair, with a continuous plywood shell and narrow connection between its seat and back. — Positive Times · ImageGen · AI-assisted illustration

Jacobsen’s Ant: the reason for a narrow waist

In depth · 3 min read

Arne Jacobsen’s Ant chair shows how a recognisable silhouette can emerge from working with a material and understanding everyday use.

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02Philosophy

AI editorial illustration of people around a shared table with a clear space for a wheelchair user: a contemporary example about the common good. — Positive Times · ImageGen · AI-assisted illustration

Hutcheson: counting people is not enough

In depth · 3 min read

A sentence by Francis Hutcheson asks us to consider the common good, while the next passage complicates an easy reading.

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03Plants

AI editorial illustration of potted Schlumbergera truncata with flat toothed stem segments and pink tubular flowers at their tips. — Positive Times · ImageGen · AI-assisted illustration

Schlumbergera: the cactus from the forest

In depth · 3 min read

Schlumbergera truncata has flat, toothed stem segments rather than leaves: recognising this forest cactus also changes how we care for it.

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04Curiosities

AI editorial illustration of Lia looking down at small light discs projected onto the ground through a kitchen colander. — Positive Times · ImageGen · AI-assisted illustration

How many Suns fit in a colander?

In depth · 3 min read

Bright circles beneath a tree can be images of the Sun: a kitchen colander helps reveal the principle of projection.

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05Words

AI editorial illustration of a block of clay, a shaped bowl and a finished mug, without text or numerical diagrams. — Positive Times · ImageGen · AI-assisted illustration

Ceramica: an Italian word with clay on its hands

In depth · 3 min read

The Italian word ceramica retains a connection with clay, while now naming a craft, a material or the objects produced.

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06Food

AI editorial illustration of a vinegar bottle and a processing vessel covered with cloth, with apples representing one possible starting material. — Positive Times · ImageGen · AI-assisted illustration

Vinegar: the transformation that needs air

In depth · 3 min read

Different microorganisms work behind vinegar: separating alcohol production from the acetic stage reveals why oxygen matters in this familiar food.

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07Cultures & peoples

AI editorial illustration of a Palermo-style Sicilian pupo with jointed knees, armour and control rods, beside a puppeteer. — Positive Times · ImageGen · AI-assisted illustration

Opera dei pupi: a story can travel through a rod

In depth · 3 min read

In Sicilian puppet theatre, voice, construction and movement work together: differences between traditions become visible in small mechanical details.

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Original writing and illustrations made with AI assistance. Each discovery includes its sources. Our editorial method